1987 in sports

yearbox
in?=in sports
cp=19th century
c=20th century
cf=21st century

yp1=1984
yp2=1985
yp3=1986
year=1987
ya1=1988
ya2=1989
ya3=1990
dp3=1950s
dp2=1960s
dp1=1970s
d=1980s
da=0
dn1=1990s
dn2=2000s
dn3=2010s|

Artistic Gymnastics

*World Artistic Gymnastics Championships:
**Men's all-around champion: Dmitry Bilozerchev, USSR
**Women's all-around champion: Aurelia Dobre, Romania
**Men's team competition champion: USSR
**Women's team competition champion: Romania

Athletics

:"For an extensive coverage see 1987 in athletics (track and field)"

Marathon

International Races

* January 25 — flagicon|JPN Osaka Marathon, Japan
**Women's Winner: Lorraine Moller (NZL) 2:30:40

* February 8 — flagicon|JPN Tokyo Marathon, Japan
**Men's Winner: Hiromi Taniguchi (JPN) 2:10:06

* March 1 — flagicon|USA Los Angeles Marathon, United States
**Men's Winner: Art Boileau (CAN) 2:13:08
**Women's Winner: Nancy Ditz (USA) 2:35:24

* March 15 — flagicon|KOR Seoul Marathon, South Korea
**Men's Winner: Lee Jong-Hee (KOR) 2:12:21
**Women's Winner: Ahn Young-Ok (KOR) 2:41:50

* April 18 — flagicon|NED Rotterdam Marathon, Netherlands
**Men's Winner: Belayneh Densamo (ETH) 2:12:58
**Women's Winner: Nelly Aerts (BEL) 2:41:24

* April 20 — flagicon|USA Boston Marathon, United States
**Men's Winner: Toshihiko Seko (JPN) 2:11:50
**Women's Winner: Rosa Mota (POR) 2:25:21

* April 26 — flagicon|GER Hamburg Marathon, Germany
**Men's Winner: Karel Lismont (BEL) 2:13:46
**Women's Winner: Charlotte Teske (FRG) 2:31:49

* May 3 — flagicon|ITA Rome Marathon, Italy
**Men's Winner: Gelindo Bordin (ITA) 2:16:03
**Women's Winner: Maria Araneo (ITA) 2:56:00

* May 10 — flagicon|NED Amsterdam Marathon, Netherlands
**Men's Winner: John Burra (TAN) 2:12:40
**Women's Winner: Adriana Barbu (ROM) 2:36:21

* May 10 — flagicon|GBR London Marathon, United Kingdom
**Men's Winner: Hiromi Taniguchi (JPN) 2:09:50
**Women's Winner: Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR) 2:22:48

* May 17 — flagicon|FRA Paris Marathon, France
**Men's Winner: Abebe Mekonnen (ETH) 2:11:09
**Women's Winner: Elena Cobos (ESP) 2:45:57

* June 17 — flagicon|NED Enschede Marathon, Netherlands
**Men's Winner: Marti ten Kate (NED) 2:13:52
**Women's Winner: Helen Comsa (SUI) 2:39:29

* August 9 — flagicon|USA Pan American Games Marathon, Indianapolis, USA
**Men's Winner: Ivo Rodrígues (BRA) 2:20:13
**Women's Winner: Maricarmen Cardenas (MEX) 2:52:06

* August 29 — flagicon|ITA IAAF World Championships Marathon, Rome, Italy
**Women's Winner: Rosa Mota (POR) 2:25:17

* September 6 — flagicon|ITA IAAF World Championships Marathon, Rome, Italy
**Men's Winner: Douglas Wakiihuri (KEN) 2:11:48

* September 24 — flagicon|SYR Mediterranean Games Marathon, Latakia, Syria
**Men's Winner: Enrico Badessi (ITA) 2:24:13

* September 27 — flagicon|CAN Montreal Marathon, Canada
**Men's Winner: Peter Maher (CAN) 2:15:05
**Women's Winner: Jacqueline Gareau (CAN) 2:32:52

* October 4 — flagicon|GER Berlin Marathon, West Germany
**Men's Winner: Suleiman Nyambui (TAN) 2:11:11
**Women's Winner: Kerstin Pressler (FRG) 2:31:22

* October 18 — flagicon|CHN Beijing Marathon, China PR
**Men's Winner: Juma Ikangaa (TAN) 2:12:19

* November 1 — flagicon|USA New York City Marathon, United States
**Men's Winner: Ibrahim Hussein (KEN) 2:11:01
**Women's Winner: Priscilla Welch (GBR) 2:30:17

* November 8 — flagicon|POR Lisbon Marathon, Portugal
**Men's Winner: Gualdino Viegas (POR) 2:13:59
**Women's Winner: Umbelina Nunes (POR) 3:00:56

* November 15 — flagicon|JPN Tokyo Marathon, Japan
**Women's Winner: Katrin Dörre (GDR) 2:25:24

* December 6 — flagicon|JPN Fukuoka Marathon, Japan
**Men's Winner: Takeyuki Nakayama (JPN) 2:08:18

* December 13 — flagicon|USA Honolulu Marathon, United States
**Men's Winner: Ibrahim Hussein (KEN) 2:18:26
**Women's Winner: Carla Beurskens (NED) 2:35:11

National Champions

* October 4 — flagicon|CAN Toronto, Canada
** Men's Winner: Michael Dyon — 2:17:41
** Women's Winner: Marjorie Stewart — 2:46:02

=Auto Racing=

*Stock car racing:
**Bill Elliott won the Daytona 500
**NASCAR Championship - Dale Earnhardt
*CART Racing - Bobby Rahal won the season championship
**Indianapolis 500 - Al Unser Sr.
*Formula One Championship - Nelson Piquet of Brazil
*24 hours of Le Mans: won by the team of Derek Bell / Hans-Joachim Stuck / Al Holbert driving a Porsche 962C
*Rally racing - Juha Kankkunen in a Lancia won the World Rally Championship
**the team of Miki Biasion / Tiziano Siviero won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Lancia Delta HF 4x4
*Drag racing:
**Dick LaHaie won the NHRA "Top Fuel" championship.
**Darrell Gwynn won Top Fuel at the NHRA Winston Finals
*Touring car racing:
**Steve Soper and Pierre Dieudonné won the Bathurst 1000 endurance race in Australia, only to have their Ford Sierra (as well that of second-place team-mates Klaus Ludwig and Klaus Niedzwiedz) disqualified for illegal wheel arches. Peter Brock, David Parsons and Peter McLeod in a Holden Commodore, who finished third, were awarded the victory. It was Brock's 9th and final Bathurst win.
**That disqualification changed the result of the one-off Group A World Touring Car Championship, taking it from Ludwig and Niedzwiedz and giving it to Roberto Ravaglia who drove a BMW M3 for Schnitzer Motorsport.

Baseball

* January 14: Catfish Hunter and Billy Williams are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Hunter made his name as the ace of the Oakland A's staff in their championship years and made his fortune as one of the first free agents. Williams set an National League record by playing in 1,117 consecutive games and accumulating 426 home runs and a batting title.

*August 3: Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Niekro is suspended for 10 days for possessing a nail file on the pitcher's mound. Niekro claimed he had been filing his nails in the dugout and put the file in his back pocket when the inning started.

*World Series: Minnesota Twins won 4 games to 3 over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Series MVP was Frank Viola, Minnesota
** Lowest regular-season record of any World Series champion (85-77, .525)until 2006 (Cardinals 83-79)
** First World Series game played indoors (Game 1 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome)
** First World Series where the home team won every game

Basketball

*NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
**Indiana won 74-73 over Syracuse
* NBA Finals:
**Los Angeles Lakers won 4 games to 2 over the Boston Celtics
*National Basketball League (Australia) Finals:
**Brisbane Bullets defeated the Perth Wildcats 2-0 in the best-of-three final series.

Boxing

*March 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Mike Tyson adds the WBA heavyweight title to his WBC belt when he beats James Smith in a 12 round decision.

*April 6 - Sugar Ray Leonard beats Marvin Hagler for boxing's world Middleweight championship.

Cricket

* 1987 Cricket World Cup - Final: Australia beat England by 7 runs

Cycling

*Giro d'Italia won by Stephen Roche of Ireland
*Tour de France - Stephen Roche of Ireland
*World Cycling Championship: Stephen Roche of Ireland

Dogsled racing

*Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion:
**Susan Butcher won with lead dogs: "Granite" & "Mattie"

Field Hockey

World Competitions

* Men's Champions Trophy in Amstelveen, The Netherlands
** Gold Medal: West Germany
** Silver Medal: The Netherlands
** Bronze Medal: Australia
* Women's Champions Trophy in Amstelveen, The Netherlands
** Gold Medal: The Netherlands
** Silver Medal: Australia
** Bronze Medal: South Korea

* Women's Olympic Qualifier in Edinburgh, Scotland
** Gold Medal: United States
** Silver Medal: Canada
** Bronze Medal: Great Britain

Continental Competitions

* Men's European Nations Cup in Moscow, Soviet Union
** Gold Medal: The Netherlands
** Silver Medal: England
** Bronze Medal: West Germany

* Pan American Games (Men's Competition) in Indianapolis, United States
** Gold Medal: Canada
** Silver Medal: Argentina
** Bronze Medal: United States
* Women's European Nations Cup in London, England
** Gold Medal: The Netherlands
** Silver Medal: England
** Bronze Medal: Soviet Union

* Pan American Games (Women's Competition) in Indianapolis, United States
** Gold Medal: Argentina
** Silver Medal: United States
** Bronze Medal: Canada

* March 21 – In an international women's field hockey match at Wembley Stadium, London, where England beat the United States of America 3-1.

Figure skating

*World Figure Skating Championships:
**Men's champion: Brian Orser, Canada
**Ladies' champion: Katarina Witt, Germany
**Pair skating champions: Ekaterina Gordeeva / Sergei Grinkov, Soviet Union
**Ice dancing champions: Natalia Bestemianova / Andrei Bukin, Soviet Union

=Football (American)=

*Super Bowl XXI: New York Giants won 39-20 over the Denver Broncos
* Establishment of the University of East Anglia American Football team, the UEA Pirates

Football (Australian rules football)

* Victorian Football League
** The West Coast Eagles and the Brisbane Bears join the league.
** Carlton wins the 91st VFL Premiership (Carlton 15.14 (104) d Hawthorn 9.17 (71))
** Brownlow Medal awarded to Tony Lockett (St Kilda) and John Platten (Hawthorn)

=Football (Canadian)=

* Grey Cup: Edmonton Eskimos won 38-36 over the Toronto Argonauts
* Vanier Cup: McGill Redmen won 47-11 over the UBC Thunderbirds

Football (Soccer)

::"For an extensive coverage see 1987 in football (soccer)"

Gaelic Athletic Association

*Camogie
**All-Ireland Camogie Champion: Kilkenny
**National Camogie League: Kilkenny

*Gaelic football
**All-Ireland Senior Football Championship: Meath 1-14 d. Cork 0-11
**National Football League: Dublin 1-11 d. Kerry 0-11

*Ladies' Gaelic football
**All-Ireland Senior Football Champion: Kerry
**National Football League: Kerry

*Hurling
**All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: Galway 1-12 d. Kilkenny 0-9
**National Hurling League:

Golf

Men's professional
*April 9-12 - Masters Tournament - Larry Mize
*June 18-21 - U.S. Open - Scott Simpson
*July 16-19 - British Open - Nick Faldo
*August 6-9 - PGA Championship - Larry Nelson
*PGA Tour money leader - Curtis Strange - $925,941
*Senior PGA Tour money leader - Chi Chi Rodriguez - $509,145
*Ryder Cup - Europe won 15-13 over the United States in team golf.Men's amateur
*British Amateur - Paul Mayo
*U.S. Amateur - Billy Mayfair
*European Amateur - Anders HaglundWomen's professional
*Nabisco Dinah Shore - Betsy King
*LPGA Championship - Jane Geddes
*U.S. Women's Open - Laura Davies
*Classique du Maurier Classic - Jody Rosenthal
*LPGA Tour money leader - Ayako Okamoto - $466,034

=Thoroughbred Horse Racing=

* Australia - Melbourne Cup - Kensei
*Canada - Queen's Plate - Market Control
*France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Trempolino
*Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Sir Harry Lewis

*English Triple Crown Races:
*#2,000 Guineas Stakes - Don't Forget Me
*#Epsom Derby - Reference Point
*#St. Leger Stakes - Reference Point

*United States Triple Crown Races:
*#May 2 - Kentucky Derby - Alysheba
*#Preakness Stakes - Alysheba
*#Belmont Stakes - Bet Twice

*Breeders' Cup:
*#Breeders' Cup Classic - Ferdinand
*#Breeders' Cup Distaff - Sacahuista
*#Breeders' Cup Juvenile - Success Express
*#Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies - Epitome
*#Breeders' Cup Mile - Miesque
*#Breeders' Cup Sprint - Very Subtle
*#Breeders' Cup Turf - Theatrical

=Harness Racing=

* The North America Cup - Runnymede Lobell

*United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
*#Cane Pace - Righteous Bucks
*#Little Brown Jug - Jaguar Spur
*#Messenger Stakes - Redskin

*United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
*#Hambletonian - Mack Lobell
*#Yonkers Trot - Mack Lobell
*#Kentucky Futurity - Napoletano

*Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
**Pacers: Lightning Blue
**Trotters: Tussle

Ice Hockey

*Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers

*Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers

*Stanley Cup: Edmonton Oilers won 4 games to 3 over the Philadelphia Flyers

*World Hockey Championship:
** Men's champion: Sweden defeated the Soviet Union
** Junior Men's champion: Finland defeated Czechoslovakia after a bench clearing brawl occurred between Canada and the Soviet Union

Lacrosse

*Inaugural season of the "Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League" (later the National Lacrosse League)
** Championship won by the Baltimore Thunder

Rugby Union

*Rugby Union World Cup
**First World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand, won by New Zealand

Skiing

*Alpine Skiing
**The men's overall season champion: Pirmin Zurbriggen, Switzerland
**The women's overall season champion: Maria Walliser, Switzerland

Snooker

*World Snooker Championship: Steve Davis beats Joe Johnson 18-14
*World rankings: Steve Davis remains world number one for 1987/88

Swimming

Events

*Tenth Pan American Games held in Indianapolis, United States (August 9 – August 15)
*Second Pan Pacific Championships held in Brisbane, Australia (August 13 – August 16)

Records

* August 13 — Tom Jager regains the world record from fellow American Matt Biondi (22.33) in the 50m freestyle (long course) at the 1987 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Brisbane, Australia, clocking 22.32.

Taekwondo

*World Championships held in Barcelona, Spain

Tennis

*Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
*#Australian Open - Stefan Edberg
*#French Open - Ivan Lendl
*#Wimbledon championships - Pat Cash
*#US Open - Ivan Lendl

*Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
*#Australian Open - Hana Mandlikova
*#French Open - Steffi Graf
*#Wimbledon championships - Martina Navratilova
*#US Open - Martina Navratilova

*Davis Cup:* Sweden defeats India (5-0) in the final

Volleyball

*Asian Championship
**Men's Tournament in Kuwait City, Kuwait
***Gold Medal: vb|JPN
***Silver Medal: vb|CHN
***Bronze Medal: vb|KOR
**Women's Tournament in Shanghai, PR China
***Gold Medal: vbw|CHN
***Silver Medal: vbw|JPN
***Bronze Medal: vbw|KOR
*European Championship in Gent, Belgium
**Men's Tournament
***Gold Medal: vb|URS
***Silver Medal: vb|FRA
***Bronze Medal: vb|GRE
**Women's Tournament
***Gold Medal: vbw|GDR
***Silver Medal: vbw|URS
***Bronze Medal: vbw|TCH
*Pan American Games in Indianapolis, United States
**Men's Tournament
***Gold Medal: vb|USA
***Silver Medal: vb|CUB
***Bronze Medal: vb|BRA
**Women's Tournament
***Gold Medal: vbw|CUB
***Silver Medal: vbw|PER
***Bronze Medal: vbw|USA

Water polo

Men's Competition

* FINA World Cup in Thessaloniki, Greece
** Gold Medal: wp|YUG
** Silver Medal: wp|URS
** Bronze Medal: wp|FRG

* European Championship in Strasbourg, France
** Gold Medal: wp|URS
** Silver Medal: wp|YUG
** Bronze Medal: wp|ITA

* Pan American Games in Indianapolis, United States
** Gold Medal: wp|USA
** Silver Medal: wp|CUB
** Bronze Medal: wp|BRA

Women's Competition

* European Championship in Strasbourg, France
** Gold Medal: wpw|NED
** Silver Medal: wpw|HUN|1957
** Bronze Medal: wpw|FRA

Yacht racing

*The America's Cup returns to the United States as challenger "Stars & Stripes '87", of the San Diego Yacht Club, beats Australian defender "Kookaburra III", from the Royal Perth Yacht Club, 4 races to 0.

Multi-sport events

* Tenth Pan American Games held in Indianapolis, United States

* Fourth All-Africa Games held in Nairobi, Kenya

* Tenth Mediterranean Games held in Latakia, Syria

* Fourteenth Summer Universiade held in Zagreb, Yugoslavia

* Thirteenth Winter Universiade held in Štrbské Pleso, Czechoslovakia

Awards

*Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year: Ben Johnson, Track and field
*Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year: Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Track and field

Births

January

*January 1 — Lavra Babič, Slovenian freestyle swimmer
*January 6 — Amanda and Tess Oliveira, Brazilian water polo players
*January 8 — Yadier Sanchez, Cuban volleyball player
*January 16 — Ciça Canetti, Brazilian water polo player
*January 16 — Floortje Meijners, Dutch volleyball player
*January 21 — Augustine Choge, Kenyan long and middle distance runner
*January 25 — Maria Kirilenko, Russian tennis player

February

*February 2 — Håvard Bøkko, Norwegian speed skater
*February 8 — Carolina Kostner, Italian figure skater
*February 15 — Beatrix Boulsevicz, Hungarian butterfly swimmer

March

* March 5 — Anna Chakvetadze, Russian tennis player

April

*April 1 — Kate Haywood, British swimmer
*April 10 — Maya Gabeira, Brazilian surfer
*April 19 — Maria Sharapova, Russian tennis player
*April 23 — Amy Korner, Australian field hockey player
*April 24 — Duygu Ulusoy, Turkish skier
*April 25 — Alexandra Caso, Dominican Republic volleyball player
*April 26 — Yuki Ishikawa, Japanese volleyball player
*April 29 — Joanna Maranhão, Brazilian medley swimmer

May

*May 1 — Shahar Peer, Israeli tennis player
*May 6 — Keibir Gutierrez, Cuban volleyball player
*May 14 — François Steyn, South African rugby player
*May 15 — Andrew Murray, Scottish tennis player
*May 21 — Tim Cuddihy, Australian archer
*May 28 — Kate Hollywood, Australian field hockey player

June

*June 10 — Amobi Okoye, Nigeria-born American football player
*June 11 — Roberlandy Simon, Cuban volleyball player

July

*July 14 — Raydel Hierrezuelo, Cuban volleyball player
*July 17 — Gemma Beadsworth, Australian water polo player

August

*August 1 — Karen Carney, English soccer player
*August 7 — Sidney Crosby, Canadian ice hockey player
*August 20 — Cătălina Ponor, Romanian gymnast
*August 22 — Mohammad Mousavi, Iranian volleyball player
*August 24 — Anze Kopitar, Slovenian ice hockey player
*August 27 — Darren McFadden, American football player

eptember

*September 21 — Jimmy Clausen, American football player
*September 21 — Ashley Paris, American basketball player
*September 21 — Courtney Paris, American basketball player
*September 22 — Nanae Takizawa, Japanese volleyball player

October

*October 1 — Paola Duguet, Colombian freestyle swimmer

November

*November 6 — Ana Ivanović, Serbian tennis player
*November 13 — Dana Vollmer, American swimmer
*November 29 — Danni Miatke, Australian swimmer

December

*December 16 — Igor Chervynskyi, Ukrainian swimmer
*December 18 — Fernando Jara, Panamanian/American jockey
*December 31 — Émilie Lepennec, French gymnast

Deaths

*March 11 — Woody Hayes, American football coach
*March 17 — Georg Lammers (81), German athlete (b. 1905)
*March 23 — Dean Paul Martin (29), tennis pro killed in plane crash, son of singer Dean Martin
*April 1 — Henri Cochet, French champion tennis player (b. 1901)
*May 31 — Dequinha, Brazilian soccer player
*May 31 — Jerry Adair, Major League Baseball player (1958-1970)
*June 17 — Dick Howser, Major League Baseball player (1961-1968) and manager (1980-1986)
*August 16 — Nick Vanos, NBA basketball player
* November 7 — Arne Borg, Swedish swimmer (b. 1901)
* November 17 — Paul Derringer, Major League Baseball pitcher, (1931-1945)
*November 18 — Jacques Anquetil, French cyclist